More Than Ten Siblings! This Ship Family Continues to Flourish

More Than Ten “Siblings”! The Hercules Family Continues to Thrive

The “Hercules” series of ultra-large container ships, independently developed and designed by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s 708 Research Institute (CSSC 708 Institute), has grown into a flourishing family of advanced green and energy-efficient vessels.

The “Hercules” series includes more than ten vessel types ranging from 6,000 TEU to 24,000 TEU, forming a complete ultra-large container ship design portfolio that covers all key vessel categories in this segment.

To date, the series has secured orders for more than 150 vessels, with over 100 ships successfully delivered. All vessels have met or exceeded contractual performance requirements, reaching internationally advanced standards and earning widespread recognition from shipowners.

Against the backdrop of a strong global container shipping market, the continued delivery of the 15,000 TEU series container ships will create significant economic value for CMA CGM.

“Twin Brothers”: Conventional Propulsion & Dual-Fuel Power

The 15,000 TEU container ship is a new-generation Panama-class maximum-size vessel developed and designed by CSSC 708 Institute.

The “CMA CGM Zéphyr” adopts a conventional propulsion system equipped with a scrubber and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for nitrogen oxide emissions. The same series also includes an LNG dual-fuel propulsion version.

Seven Design Highlights

The LNG dual-fuel 15,000 TEU container ship adopts a two-stroke low-speed dual-fuel engine developed by WinGD under CSSC, together with a low-pressure fuel gas system.

The LNG storage tank uses the GTT Mark III Flex membrane containment system. The LNG fuel system and bunkering station have been comprehensively optimized to ensure efficient compatibility with LNG bunkering vessels.

The first LNG dual-fuel 15,000 TEU vessel is currently under construction at Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of CSSC. As both vessel projects belong to the CMA CGM Group, the shipowner required a high degree of consistency between the two designs.

The CSSC 708 Institute design team worked closely with Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, coordinating across project management, drawing standards, equipment selection, design development, and handling of shipowner and classification society comments.

Despite challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the teams actively advanced remote technical coordination, continuously improved working methods, and ensured that design and production tasks were completed according to schedule.

The Expanding “Hercules” Fleet

9,000 TEU container ship
A new-generation large container ship designed by CSSC 708 Institute, representing one of the largest container ship designs for South American routes and demonstrating that China’s large container ship design and construction capabilities have reached internationally advanced levels.

9,400 TEU container ship
Developed in response to new market demands, incorporating design concepts focused on economic efficiency, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and construction efficiency.

10,000 TEU container ship
A total of 26 vessels were built, marking China’s independently developed ultra-large container ship designs entering the world’s leading ranks.

11,000 TEU container ship
An upgraded and evolved design based on the 9,000 TEU series.

11,800 TEU container ship
Optimized from existing 10,000 TEU-class designs, with improved principal dimensions for wider port compatibility. Its twin-island layout increases container capacity and enhances overall energy efficiency.

12,700 TEU container ship
A 12,000 TEU-class member of the “Hercules” series, with hull lines optimized according to shipowner operational requirements.

13,800 TEU container ship
Designed for the dimensional requirements of the new Panama Canal locks, this new-generation mainline vessel can serve U.S. East Coast routes. Its speed, fuel consumption, and container capacity all reach world-class levels, making it one of China’s leading new-generation Panama Canal-compatible container ships.

18,000 TEU container ship
China’s first independently developed, designed, and built giant container ship, breaking the previous dominance of South Korean shipbuilders in this segment.

20,000 TEU container ship
The first domestic application of GAS READY design technology on an ultra-large container ship, enabling future conversion to dual-fuel propulsion.

21,000 TEU container ship
Featuring high cargo capacity, low energy consumption, low emissions, and intelligent operation capabilities.

23,000 TEU container ship
The world’s first large container ship series to adopt dual-fuel technology and currently one of the world’s most advanced and environmentally friendly dual-fuel container ship series. A total of nine vessels have been built, all successfully delivered with outstanding performance across key indicators.

The continued expansion of the “Hercules” family demonstrates the evolution of China’s ultra-large container ship design capability from technological advancement to global leadership.